Human fibronectin was isolated from second-trimester amniotic fluid, from amniotic fluid obtained at term and from adult plasma. The amniotic-fluid fibronectins had a slightly higher apparent molecular weight on sodium dodecyl sulphate/polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis than the plasma fibronectin. Early- and late-amniotic-fluid fibronectin had 9.5 and 9.6% carbohydrate respectively, whereas pl...

Ingestion of amniotic fluid and placenta by rats has been shown to enhance opioid-mediated antinociception but not affect the nonopioid-mediated antinociception produced by aspirin, suggesting specificity for opioid-mediated processes. However, enhancement by the active substance(s) in amniotic fluid and placenta (POEF, for placental opioid-enhancing factor) of antinociception produced by other...

Growth hormone (GH) and prolactin (PRL) in maternal and fetal serum and amniotic fluid were measured simultaneously by radioimmunoassay at term deliveries of 20 normal mothers. The PRL level of amniotic fluid was significantly higher than that of maternal and fetal serum. The fetal GH level was significantly higher than the maternal and amniotic levels of GH. There was no significant correlatio...

Studies using in vitro analysis have shown that the interaction between pulmonary surfactant and vernix caseosa could explain the appearance of amniotic fluid turbidity. That phenomenon is interpreted based on the "roll-up" hypothesis. We tested the roll-up hypothesis by examining the presence of micelles of pulmonary surfactant in human amniotic fluid at term. Amniotic fluid samples were colle...

Background: Amniotic fluid is vital to the well significant impact on pregnancy and fetus, it prompted us to ca find out its effect on pregnancy outcome. Aim and objectives: To find out incidence of polyhydramnios and oligohydramnios in our setup and to study possible etiological factors for abnormal AFI. Material and methods: We performed a study on 200 patients over a period of one year. Deta...

The determination of enzyme levels in cell-free amniotic fluid has proven useful in assessing fetal maturity and fetal well being, and is being utilized for the prenatal diagnosis of genetic disorders. The activities of amylase, alpha-galactosidase, phosphatidic acid phosphohydrolase, lysozyme and heat-stable alkaline phosphatase in amniotic fluid increase with gestational age and have an estab...